The Patrol Circuit
by Bineshii
Summary: Lancelot and Brian visit a new settlement the management of which has been awarded to a young couple. Brian is learning important life lessons along the way.


**The Patrol Circuit**

 **A further adventure in the Adventures of Sir Lancelot**

 **By Waaboozikwe**

While their horses' hoofs sounded softly on a trail through the woods, Lancelot said "There are times when you can't do it alone, Brian." This was the beginning of another story which would end with a point to consider. Lancelot often told his squire stories during long rides on missions for the king.

"Did I tell you that when I was in temporary exile from Camelot, it was Angela, a woman, who prevented me from being overwhelmed and killed by her brother's men-at-arms? It would have been declared an unfortunate training accident. That is how he would have reported it to King Arthur. The king would never have been able to prove otherwise. So it wasn't a strong male ally who saved me, but a young woman who could not even fight. She loudly protested the abuse and stopped it with just words."

Brian kicked his horse lightly to make it quicken its walk and keep up with Caledon's longer legged stride. He was thinking about Lancelot's words. Often Lancelot told him things which seemed to come out of the blue but were heartfelt life lessons. This was Lancelot's teaching style on these quiet long rides or while they walked back from a hunting trip loaded with game.

Then Brian burst out with "But you are the best of the knights! I have often seen you take on several at once and overcome them all."

Lancelot turned in the saddle and studied Brian's perplexed expression. He gave Brian a penetrating look and then displayed that knowing smile of his. Brian squared his shoulders and wiped a stay blond hair off his forehead. Sometimes Brian had no immediate response. It was disconcerting when Lancelot was expecting one. But Brian often liked to mull things over before committing to a comment. He actually thought deeply about many things whereas Lancelot seemed to analyze things quickly and respond with speed – both physically and mentally. Would he ever understand all the things that Lancelot was telling him?

Knowing he had planted a thought seed, Lancelot looked ahead at the track which was leading them on through the wood, then down to open fields. As they descended from the forest, the fields looked to be newly cleared of trees. A hill rose beyond these fields and on its crown, Sir Samuel's fortified home resided. The fortification was a wooden palisade. Someone had spotted them coming and the gate in the palisade was opening for them.

This was a recently settled area that the king had awarded to Sir Samuel for exemplary service over the past two years. As a poor knight - the younger son of a minor lord, this gift of land had been a great boon. The new settlement was on a circuit of patrol that the king had assigned Lancelot, and including six estates. This was something of a good will tour with assessment of progress in defense and extent of development of subsistence farming. It would be a month's journey with lots of riding time, so Brian could take all the time he needed to think over the gems of wisdom Lancelot shared with him.

Lancelot raised a hand in greeting as they started up the hill toward the gate. He turned in the saddle to say "So, Brian, we will be eating at Sir Samuel's table tonight. And perhaps we will have a real bed after two days in camp beds."

The change in conversation topic was a relief to Brian and he excitedly embraced the new subject. "Yes, My Lord. It will be a welcome rest for the horses too, especially our two pack horses with the tent and cooking equipment. These new pack horses are skittish carrying my fishing pole. Do you think that with only six months into his tenure on this new land that Sir Samuel's people will have had time to plant a garden? The land will yet have to be cleared of more trees for grain fields but I will bet the hunting is good here and hopefully the fishing. The area had so few residents before Sir Samuel was sent here to build on it, didn't it?"

"Yes, Brian. Settling new land makes the kingdom stronger. We will probably be well fed on game here, but don't expect a soft bed," laughed Lancelot. "Keep an eye out for everything. I am here to evaluate; you are here to learn. I will be asking if there are particular needs for supplies. A new settlement is always exciting, but a lot of hard work. Sir Samuel is as good a farmer as he is a knight, which is why sending him here was a shrewd choice as well as a well deserved reward."

Brian sighed. "I bet that is the sort of situation I will be facing in a few years. I hope to prove myself as a knight but will have to depend on the king's largesse for an estate of my own. Unfortunately I have no farming skills. My father was a hunter and my mother gathered herbs and fruits in the fields and forest. She was a good forager but her garden was, well, meager."

"Brian, you know that I will help you, not just the king. I am not without resources myself."

"I think I will forever be in your debt, My Lord," Brian said softly.

Lancelot reached out to muss Brian's hair and the boy ducked his head away, but smiled.

...

It wasn't long before Lancelot and Brian had seen to the needs of their horses. That always came first before settling into conversation with their host in the hall. Sir Samuel and Lady Sarah gave them a tour, which did not take long in such a small settlement.

"There is something warm about wooden buildings that is lacking in the stone walls of castles," Brian responded to Lady Sarah's showing him the rough but serviceable furniture of her recently built home.

The lady smiled and glanced around the hall. "And the new cut wood smell is nice, but I am afraid it is grass filled pallets for sleeping on as yet. We have not gathered enough feathers for mattresses, thought we did bring feather pillows that were part of our wedding gifts. I am grateful that Samuel and I have a few little luxuries."

They sat on split tree trunk benches with mugs of ale after the tour. Lady Sarah slid her hand over the rough board table to squeeze her husband's hand. He sighed and looked at her, much in love. Like himself, she was a younger sibling from a comfortably off, but not wealthy family. Both knew from early childhood that there would be hard work ahead to build an independent life if they decided to strike off on their own instead of accept the rule of parent or older sibling over their lives.

"You seem a happy couple," Lancelot observed, perhaps a little jealous since he had not yet found a wife. Though he had won the estate of Joyous Guard through his services to his king and also would be expecting to inherit Benwick from his parents as an only son, this building a home from scratch appealed to him. Lancelot, himself, had not much patience or interest in estate management, something his mother fortunately excelled in, which was useful after Lancelot's father died. Lancelot hoped that Brian would not be adverse to the art of estate management, especially if his mother would someday accept Lancelot's plan for his sister Aveline and Brian. The two seemed fond of each other and Lancelot encouraged their friendship.

Brian looked up at the balcony above the hall. It was not a full upper floor yet. Maybe that would come later. And you had to climb an inclined log with notches cut into it to reach the balcony.

Lady Sarah followed Brian's gaze and said "We will make a proper stairway before the winter sets in. I hope the wall hangings are okay for blankets. Just double them over and they will be heavy enough if the night gets cold. We also use these old wall hangings for room dividers until we can cut more boards for walls. The hangings are from my childhood home, worn out old things that were in storage and waiting for some purpose like being cut up for horse blankets. Anyway, mother was delighted when I asked for them. It gives her more storage room. They made good coverings for wagons with holes cut in them for tie downs to transport our more valuable items by ox cart."

"They will be fine for Sir Lancelot and me, My Lady. I doubt that they will even be needed on these warm summer nights, right Sir Lancelot?"

"I agree, Brian. Now to get down to business, what are your supply needs for this fine outpost?"

Sir Samuel looked at his wife "Dear?"

"Well," she replied, clasping her hands palms together and resting her chin on them. "We could use vegetable seed, any kind that Camelot or the other settlements on your tour could spare. Bird down for quilts and mattresses, more metal plates and utensils, two more oxen for plowing –actually, we can use almost anything that other settlements or villages can spare and are willing to part with. Perhaps in a year or two we can reciprocate with harvested grain or cured wild animal skins."

"Women! You forgot we could use spear points, a few extra swords, chainmail vests, helms – any and all pieces of armor!" said Sir Samuel.

Lady Sarah smiled and nodded. "Of course, Samuel, those things too."

"A few more trained foot soldiers, ones who are not above farm work too, and of course with hunting skills – would be useful. Any people who would like a new master and would be able to get permission from their current master to move. All men like hunting, right, boy?" he winked at Brian. "The hunting here is excellent. Oh, and fish hooks, Sir Lancelot. I noticed your pole. Do you have any extra hooks?"

Lancelot said "Of course Brian will leave you most of his fish hooks. He can get more next time we are in Londinium if there are none to be had at Camelot."

Brian frowned briefly, but covered with a smile. "Gladly, Sir Samuel." He wished Lancelot would not be so free with his possessions, yet to be honest, the knight was always very generous to Brian with his own possessions, so the boy held his peace.

Lady Sarah was about to add something when a horn sounded two long and two short blasts in the distance.

"That is my brother's signature call! Sir Samuel said as he rose from the table. "In Mother's last letter, she said he would be visiting sometime this summer."

Sir Samuel did not look very enthusiastic and Lady Sarah also looked downcast.

"I know you have limited space, maybe Brian and I could set up my tent inside your compound."

Samuel waved his hand. "Not necessary. At the worst, you could sleep here in the hall with everyone else in our little settlement. Please, you are representatives of our king and should be warm and dry."

Sarah nodded as they all went outside the hall and stood under the porch awning to watch Sir Terrance and his entourage enter the walled compound and dismount.

Looking around as he removed his gauntlets, Sir Terrance said "Brother, I had hoped for better accommodations by this time. You have been here six months already."

"Is this a brotherly greeting? Critical already before you have even stepped inside our hall?" Said Sir Samuel as he stood his ground instead of striding to his brother for a friendly embrace. He clenched his fists behind his back.

Lancelot noted this lack of warmth as the visiting brother, brushing past, entered the hall as if he was the lord here. This did not bode well. Lancelot put a hand on Brian's shoulder and whispered "the tent."

Brian nodded and went off toward the stable storeroom where he had piled the equipment after he had unpacked it from the horses.

Following Samuel back inside, Lancelot noticed Terrance seating himself at the head of the table which should have been Samuel's place. Lady Sarah excused herself in a small voice and disappeared into the kitchen at the back.

As night was falling, the carpenters, farmers, hunters, and women with children were drifting into the hall and settling at the tables. Lady Sarah organized the kitchen workers in bringing out the trays piled with the evening meal, from which Sir Terrance insisted on the first and best the settlement had to offer. When Sir Samuel asked her to come sit with him, Lady Sarah said she had too much to do and would eat in the kitchen.

...

In their tent later that evening, Lancelot patted into shape the pillow Lady Sarah had given him and lay down on his camp bed with his hands behind his head.

"Isn't this Sir Samuel's estate?" asked Brian. "Even if Terrance is his older brother, isn't it a bit cheeky for him to lord it over everyone here?"

"Indeed it is, Brian," Lancelot replied in a clipped voice, "and Lady Sarah should have stood by her husband's side to help resist this insult instead of sneaking off into her kitchen."

"But didn't you say she was a brave woman while we were talking about them on our way here?"

"Yes. Brian, she is a brave woman, which makes me think she is up to something back there in her kitchen." And half in jest, he added "I hope she is not planning to poison her brother-in-law. That is not the way to handle this. But I am not sure we are handling the situation much better. Graciously giving up our beds inside was total deference to this usurper. I plan to go into the hall and wake the captain of the guard for a little conversation. You stay here."

"But My Lord, you may need me, I should come inside with you!"

"Brian. It is better that you wait here. I will tell you of my plan after it has been devised," smiled Lancelot as he stood and lifted the tent flap, then disappeared into the darkness.

...

Brian was sharpening his boot knife with a whet stone when Lancelot returned. He glanced up at Lancelot's face which was set with determination and knew a plan was in place.

"Get some sleep, Brian, you will need it for the events in store tomorrow."

Brian nodded, displaying his usual impish grin with half-closed eyes as he set down the knife and flopped down on his camp bed. Lancelot slapped the boy's shoulder as he passed to return to his own bed.

...

The next morning, as an early breeze ruffled the side of the tent, Lancelot was pulling his lighter chainmail vest on. Brian, awakened by Lancelot's movements, quickly did the same – pulling on his boots and inserting the knife he had sharpened.

"No swords, Brian. We are guests. But that knife is prudent," whispered Lancelot as he added his own knife to his belt.

They entered the hall as tables were being dragged from the places against the walls where they had been moved to make room for sleeping last night. Benches too, were lifted into place by men with sleep still in their eyes. Their bedrolls were kicked against the walls where the tables had been. Lancelot walked to the kitchen when he heard the voice of Lady Sarah directing preparations for breakfast.

"My Lady, good morning to you. What delicious fare are you serving today?"

"Oh, Sir Lancelot, you startled me. Um, sit here and have something now if you are hungry."

"You are kind. And I am really hungry, so thank you."

Lancelot sat on a stool beside the table across from a cook peeling turnips. He spotted a bowl of oatmeal that Lady Sarah had been preparing and pulled it over. He lifted a spoon that he found next to it.

"NO! I mean, that is a special bowl prepared for Sir Terrance. He had specific instructions for his breakfast," Lady Sarah said, a concerned look in her eyes.

Lancelot held her eyes with a penetrating stare of his own, his spoon poised in the air. He raised an eyebrow. "Tut, tut, Lady Sarah, you could prepare another bowl for him, couldn't you? I see a whole pot bubbling over the fire."

"But I have very little of the special herbs left that I used in that," she said pointing to the bowl in front of Lancelot. "And he may stay for several days. In fact, I know he will and he will be terribly angry if the food is not to his taste if I run out of these special herbs."

"I see. I expect he plans to enjoy his bullying of you and your husband, extending it as long as he can by several days?" Teased Sir Lancelot as he lowered the spoon into the oatmeal.

Sarah ran to the table just as the bowl was snatched out of Lancelot's reach by the cook sitting across from him. The cook said apologetically "My Lord, forgive me, but the oatmeal has grown cold already. It is not fitting for a fine knight such as yourself to be served cold food."

Lady Sarah stopped her run by bracing her hands against the table, then stood up straight, crossing her arms, and hugging them to her body. She shared a quick grateful look with her cook.

"So, you are in this together," Lancelot said softly. "This is not the way to handle the situation, Lady Sarah."

Her eyes widened. "How did you know? But really, we only planned to make him sick so he stays to his bed and does not interfere in my Samuel's running of the settlement. Terrance is so demeaning and undermines my husband's discipline and the respect he should receive from the people we supervise here."

Lancelot reached up and took one of Lady Sarah's hands in both of his. "If I could guess what you were up to, so could anyone else. This herb you are using, what if it accidently kills Terrance? What would his father and the king say? Do you hold your life that cheaply, My Lady?"

"I hold my husband's well being higher, Sir Lancelot!"

"And where would your husband be without his beloved lady if she should hang for the murder of his brother! His father would certainly not believe Sir Samuel was not involved in the murder of his older brother in his own home if his own wife were involved. Sir Samuel would be disinherited at the least, even if he were the only son left. And the king would not tolerate..."

"I, I...did not think that far ahead, Sir Lancelot!" broke in Lady Sarah, aghast at her own lack of planning. "I hate his brother! Truly! He has bullied Samuel all of his life!"

"You are fortunate that I did suspect what you were up to! You are not a hardened murderer, My Lady. But the attempt has shown me just how deep this problem is. Now, I will help you. Here is my plan..."

...

Terrance stretched, yawned, and turned to climb down the log with the notches. It irritated him to have to climb down like a kid from a tree instead of walking arrogantly down a staircase. So this would be his first complaint and denigration of his brother for the day. He stepped onto the dirt floor of the hall – another thing to complain about with its lack of wooden or stone flooring, and turned to walk over to the table to assume the head chair.

At the same moment, Sir Lancelot strode out of the kitchen and arriving at the left side of the chair as Terrance did the right side of it. Lancelot quickly sat down, grinning; he pounded a fist on the table.

"Where is my breakfast! What is this place, a peasant's hut? "

Sir Samuel had just climbed down the log and looked at Lancelot in surprise, but quietly walked to the table and stood behind a bench on one side.

"Good morning, Sir. Did you sleep well?" Samuel inquired of Lancelot.

"Outside in a tent on the ground? Of course not! Tonight I will be taking Sir Terrance's bed and he can sleep anywhere else that he wants. Maybe with the hounds out in the stable? My tent, rough as it is, is way too good for the likes of him."

"Now listen! I am no dog to be treated like this!" shouted Terrance.

"I agree," said Samuel calmly. "You may have my bed, Terrance. My lady and I will sleep in the hall with our people. Frankly, it won't be the first time we have done this. We have shared hardships with them since we came here and my people will share the rewards of our efforts to build a thriving settlement here. Terrance, please defer to Sir Lancelot as a representative of the king. The benches are perfectly fine for dining at the table. Let's just be thankful we are not dining on the ground as we had to do the first two weeks here."

"Ground? I do not sit on the ground!" Terrance glared at Sir Lancelot, but sat on the bench.

"Well gentlemen, here is your breakfast," a cheerful voice distracted them as Lady Sarah carried a tray out from the kitchen, followed by a woman with a second tray.

Sarah lifted dishes of eggs, fresh bread, and ale from her tray and with a flourish set them in front of Sir Lancelot. The woman in a plain brown linen gown unceremoniously emptied her tray of its items and shoved them in front of Terrance and Samuel.

Terrance frowned. "What? Water? And gruel? Is this the horses' food?"

"Why yes, the horses also get this oatmeal. But at least they work for it," the woman said gruffly.

"Brother, you allow your servants to speak to you like this?" demanded Terrance.

Samuel opened his mouth to comment but caught the eye of his wife and closed his mouth while raising his eyebrows.

Sir Lancelot broke in with a chuckle " The food seems fine to me. Now let us finish our breakfast so I can inspect the gardens, fields, and outbuildings that you have managed to construct."

...

Terrance paced behind the stable, his fingernails digging into his fists. Sure, Lancelot, as the king's representative, had the law on his side - the king's law, to take the best of everything an outpost in his kingdom had to offer. But it was unfair, somehow, for the man to treat him and his brother with disrespect. He had come here to help his brother, hadn't he? He had pointed out the settlement's short comings from the moment he arrived – all to make his brother safer by setting these deficiencies to right.

Terrance looked around for something to vent his anger on. "Squire! Has my horse been brushed and fed? Has my armor been cleaned and stored out of the rain?"

"Yes, Sir Terrance!" Said his squire running over to stand at attention in front of him.

The squire winced as Terrance raised a fist over him. He hit the boy who then took the blow without moving. The second blow made the boy stagger back. Brian, who was nearby, stepped forward with concern on his face. But he stopped short. It was not his place to interfere in another knight's treatment of his squire. He turned, running off in the direction he had seen Sir Lancelot go to inspect the fields being prepared for next spring's plowing.

By the time Samuel, Lancelot, and Brian returned to the stable, Terrance's squire, with shaking hands, was smoothing a saddle cloth on the back of Sir Terrance's horse. He also was sporting a large bruise on his cheek. Samuel took the squire's chin in his hand, turning the boy's face this way and that.

"A little rough with him, weren't you, Terrance?" Said Samuel.

"None of your business, Brother." Terrance responded while inspecting his horse's bridle, hoping to find that it had not been cleaned sufficiently so he could further punish his squire.

"Oh but it is my business," Samuel said quietly. "I do not allow abuse of anyone on my own land."

"That certainly is your right," agreed Sir Lancelot.

"None of your business either!" shouted Terrance stepping toward Lancelot, after throwing the bridle on the ground.

"I see," said Lancelot, crossing his arms over his chest. "You, a knight aspiring to a position at the Round Table, breaking one of the king's most cherished rules of defending those in your charge instead of abusing them. Fine example of that, we have here!"

Terrance stopped short, clenching and unclenching his fists, he looked at Lancelot, Samuel, and his squire in turn. "I meant no real harm. A boy aspiring to knighthood must learn discipline. I mean, you have a squire of your own. Don't you discipline him?"

"Discipline, yes. Abuse, no. You have crossed the line here, Sir Terrance."

Terrance looked around at them all again, trying to maintain a visage of defiance. Then he turned and walked away, heading around the corner of the stable.

Samuel hesitated then followed his brother. He hated to see him humiliated, even if he was in the wrong. He thought a quiet talk might induce his brother to apologize to the squire.

Brian took the squire by the elbow and led him toward the hall. "I think Lady Sarah might have something to take down the swelling on your cheek."

Lancelot rubbed his chin with one hand, thinking. Perhaps wounded pride and bullying behavior could be set to right with a little finesse.

...

It the evening meal, Sir Lancelot once again took the head position at the table. Silence accompanied a platter of fresh venison from a carcass that had been hanging from an oak tree inside the compound, and fresh fish caught by one of Samuel's men-at-arms with one of the hooks Brian had given Sir Samuel. Catching Samuel's eye knowingly and with a brief smile that he quickly hid, Lancelot slapped his hands on the table and began an insulting harangue. 

"Sir Samuel. I have analyzed the situation here, and have come to some disturbing conclusions. There is a list of corrections for how you are managing your estate. I recommend that you set a few things straight and a revisit be made in two month's time to assess compliance. If you are again seen wanting, the king will be rescinding your tenure of this outpost."

Lancelot handed a scroll to Sir Samuel, who studied it with a perplexed look.

"Do you understand?" Lancelot emphasized his question by pounding a fist on the table, and stood as if to leave the hall.

"Answer me, man! Stand when I do so!"

"Now, here, Sir Lancelot, there is no need to bully my brother," Terrance said, rising to his feet.

"I see," said Sir Lancelot, shaking his head slowly and walking up behind Samuel. He grabbed Samuel by the back of his tabard and half lifted the man from his seat on the bench.

"I must protest vehemently, Sir!" Terrance raised his voice, leaning across the table with his hands spread and palms down upon it. "Look, I apologize for my behavior this afternoon with my squire. Yes, I behaved like a bully instead of a mentor. But I now see the same bullying behavior being practiced by yourself. I now recognize it for what it is."

"Oh you do, do you?" Lancelot lowered his voice to a menacing softness. "Would you like to make something of it?"

"Not with you, Sir Lancelot! I know you could take me down in the blink of an eye. No, I will ride immediately to Camelot and report your behavior to the king! And I will take any of the men at this table that my brother can spare from work, as witnesses! I have learned my lesson. But I will forgo this journey if you allow my brother to resume the head of his own table, with both of us respecting his authority here, from our position on the side benches."

Lancelot relaxed his shoulders and his dimples appeared with a wide disarming smile.

"So be it!" Lancelot gestured with a graceful upturn of his hand and pointed toward the head chair.

Samuel nodded and walked to his chair. He stood for a moment, then smiled and sat and everyone standing resumed their seats.

"Now. I believe my wife has a wonderful pudding for our next dish."

...

At the next night's evening meal, Lancelot gave high praise for the state of the settlement. The list on the scroll was actually one which Lady Sarah had dictated to Brian, who had written it in his still painful slow but somewhat legible hand. Lancelot insisted that Brian act as scribe on this circuit of settlements, even though it would have been faster for Lancelot to write these lists himself. Brian had reluctantly agreed. He knew that though Lancelot could often show impatience, he was keeping this in check in order to further Brian's education – an education that would take years and was a sign of great caring, great brotherly love .

Brian early in his squire training had realized that this knight, who irritatingly mussed his hair, had become the most significant person in his young life. He realized that he now had a lifelong friend. Brian had felt such a loss and panic when after Lancelot awarded him his horse on their first mission together, Lancelot had left for Camelot without him. Brian had been filled with an intolerable emptiness as he watched Lancelot ride away. He had kicked apart the pile of dirty pots waiting for him, absolutely unable to return to serfdom under Urgan the Strong. No more pots, whatever else he decided to do! He now owned something of his own for the first time in his life: a horse given to him for his temporary services as a squire. No, he could not go back to his old life. He could no longer accept such belittling treatment.

So Brian had taken his horse and followed Sir Lancelot with his hunter's tracking skill, making sure Lancelot would not see him and send him back. He watched Lancelot set up camp and go to sleep. Brian had slept an eighth of a mile away in the woods but was up by very early light to hunt down a rabbit. He crept up to Lancelot's camp and started a fire to cook Lancelot's breakfast when the son of Melius arrived and woke Lancelot at sword point. That had started the second part of their first adventure together where Lancelot had used negotiation skill more than his sword to settle the quarrel between Urgan and Melius for good. And this time, Lancelot did not leave Brian behind but actually won custody of him. They returned to Camelot together to start Brian's training toward knighthood.

Now at Samuel's settlement, Lancelot had his back to Brian as he gazed at the construction of the row of houses for families so that the hall would soon be empty of sleepers at night. His sword belt hung at an angle from his slim waist, his powerful arms akimbo, hands on his hips. As Lancelot studied the building activity, Brian studied Lancelot, wondering if he would grow that tall or ever be as strong and skillful as his mentor. Or as smart. He yearned to be judged worthy by Lancelot but still felt awkward and stupid at times. He was still called 'boy' by many people at Camelot and could not wait for the day when he would be considered a man. He felt at times like this, that he had a hundred years left of growth before he would be judged a man.

Lancelot had heard Brian come up behind him. He turned to say "Remember, Brian, when on the way here I told you a story about not being able to do things alone? Did you see a similar story at Sir Samuel's settlement?"

Brian furrowed his brow in thought. "Well, My Lord, in the end, Terrance rolled up his sleeves to help his brother, holding those logs in place while the wooden pegs were hammered in place alone that inner stockade wall."

Lancelot smiled. "Those brothers have come to a better understanding, haven't they? But could Lady Sarah and Sir Samuel have come here all alone and built this settlement?"

"No, My Lord. Of course not. They needed people to cut all those trees, plant those gardens, remove rocks from future grain fields and hunt for food."

"And do you think those people would have built so fast if they were whipped and yelled at demeaningly instead of being thanked and promised a share in the prosperity of the finished settlement?"

"I suppose not, My Lord."

Brian was silent for awhile and then spoke. "I used to do just the least I could get away with at Urgan the Strong's castle when Urgan was mean to me, which was most of the time. But when his daughter, Igrane, asked me sweetly for this or that, I got it for her quickly and with a smile. I liked her."

"Just so, Brian! I think you understand. Now go saddle the horses. I think we will reach the next settlement by night fall. Tomorrow I want you to observe closely and give me your first impression of this next settlement by evening."

As Brian turned and ran to the stable, he realized how lucky he was to be Lancelot's squire and not Sir Terrance's.

13


End file.
